Study Claims Marijuana Could Help Fight Off COVID-19

A Canadian study has been published on cannabis and the coronavirus, suggesting that certain strains high in CBD could aid the body in fighting off COVID-19.

Though the study has not yet been peer reviewed, the report on molecular biology can be read in full on Preprints. Written by six researchers, the study looked into 400 Health Canada-approved strains of marijuana, finding that 13 of them — particularly sativa strains high in CBD concentration — could be beneficial.

Why? Because those strains can down-regulate the protein receptor ACE2, which the coronavirus targets in the mouth, nose, lungs, kidneys, testes and gastrointestinal tract. The study proclaims various strains were able to reduce virus receptor activity by as much as 73 percent.

The study was conducted on human tissue models from Mattek Life Sciences called EpiAirway, EpiOral and EpiIntestinal tissues; so there’s currently no determination on whether cannabis for COVID prevention would work on living humans.

The study’s conclusion reads, “Based on our preliminary data, extracts of novel efficacious C. sativa lines, pending further investigations, may become a useful addition to the treatment of COVID-19, and an excellent GRAS [General Rehabilitation Adherence Scale] adjunct therapy. They may also be used to develop additional easy-to-use preventative strategies such as mouth wash and throat gargle products that may be tested for their potential to decrease viral entry via the oral cavity and may be used both in clinical practice and at-home treatment." [via Complex]